December 6th, President Donald Trump recognized the Holly land of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. In light of the aforementioned, international and regional peace and stability conditions have been murky. Trump administration still underlines its capability in playing its role between Israel and Palestine, while it has taken no stance regarding the disputed city’s borders.

In contrast, the European Union (EU) warned Trump’s chief diplomat against the intention to relocate the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. Moreover, the Arab and Islamic world, and the Arab League, as well as the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC), asserted that such recognition and procedure is a critical violation to international law, peace, and security.

Consequently, the United Nations’ (UN) Security Council’s urgent meeting denounced Trump’s declaration, Wednesday 6/12/2017. As the Security Council meeting was held, the UN Special Coordinator confirmed that its position on Jerusalem remains unchanged. UN Secretary General-Antonio Guterres stated that Trump’s decision “might hinder” the peace accord between Israel and Palestine.

The American-Israeli Actions

President Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy when he officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, parallelly, ordering the State Department to commence the movement of the U.S. Embassy to the holy city. Trump and his administration view the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as a “recognition of reality”. Furthermore, Trump stated that they are not undertaking any final stances regarding the “boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem or the resolution of contested borders.”

Though, U.S. ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley stated in her speech that “for the past 3000 years, Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel.” Acting assistant secretary of State, David Satterfield stated that although the United States recognizes Jerusalem as Israeli Capital, it has not taken a position on the disputed boarder’s designation.

Subsequently, Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed President Trump’s recognition and gratefully thanked him; calling “peace-loving” nations to follow in the decision’s footsteps. Netanyahu called 6/12/2017 a “historic day”, then calling the decision “an important step towards peace, for there is no peace that doesn’t include Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Israel.”

The European Union Reaction

In contrast, all 28 EU countries’ foreign ministers warned Rex Tillerson, U.S. chief diplomat against the moving of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. Federica Mogherini, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, stated Mr. Trump’s announcement had “the potential to send us back to even darker times than the ones we are already living in”.

Mogherini added “The European Union has a clear and united position. We believe the only realistic solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine is based on two states and with Jerusalem as the capital of both the state of Israel and Palestine.”

The Muslim and Arab Worlds’ Stance

Parallelly, the Arab and Islamic world stand united apropos Jerusalem’s rightful entitlement to the Muslims, Arabs, and Palestinians. Foreign ministers of 22 Arab and 57 Islamic states call upon the entire world to recognize “the State of Palestine and East Jerusalem as its occupied capital”, asdeclared by the final OIC communique; proving that Trump’s decision will send the region into “violence and chaos”.

TheArab League held an emergency session on Sunday, 10th of December 2017; saying Trump’s decision is “a dangerous violation to international law. Furthermore, the foreign ministers assert that Trump’s recognition has no legal impact or effect and that it is “void”, and will spark unrest among the region, it deepens tension, ignites anger and threatens to plunge the region into more violence and chaos,” the Arab League stated in its session attended by all its members in Cairo, the headquarters.

The OICSummit, the second largest international organization of 57 Muslim nations, condemns U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israeli capital, titling Israel ‘racist’. They also accuse the U.S. of “deliberately undermining” peace efforts and warn that it gave “impetus to extremism and terrorism”.

It rejected Trump’s decision, calling Israel an “occupying power”. It asserted that the recognition is “null and void” and represents “an attack on the historical, legal, natural and national rights of the Palestinian people, a deliberate undermining of all peaceeffort…and a threat to international peace and security”. As the OIC released its draft articulated that the U.S. would be to blame for the consequences arising from its decision.

Turkey president, Tayyip Erdogan stated “I want this display of unity over Jerusalem to be a lesson to everyone. As 1.7 billion Muslims we rejected Trump’s decision today. We will never give up on Palestine.” He added, “Today’s summit was a message of decisiveness towards US provocation.”

Finally, the 57 members of the OIC Muslim nations declare the United States of America as no longer competent to be a peace broker in the Middle East, or in the Palestinian-Israeli affairs. This marks the strongest response yet in regards to Washington’s decision.

The United Nations’ Reaction

An emergencyUN Security Council meeting was held on 8/12/2017, post-Trump’s decision on Jerusalem, where the Middle East envoy warns of “risk of violence”, and the Security Council, including 14 out of its 15 members (except for U.S. representatives) denounced Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Furthermore, in a joint statement, ambassadors from the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, Italy, and France asserted that Trump’s actions were “not in line with Security Council resolutions and was unhelpful in terms of prospect for peace in the region.”

The Egyptian Ambassador stated, recalling the legal parameters governing the case, that Trump’s decision is “a dangerous precedent.” Further added, “these are the resolutions of the Security Council.” He, also, stated that the United Nations’ resolutions are “the law that governs the status of Jerusalem. All countries have pledged, according to the U.N. charter, to implement and abide by it.”

It is critically important to note that the Security Council recognizes that East Jerusalem, which was captured by Israel in 1967 in the Six-Day War, as occupied territory.

According to Times report, Sacha Sergio Llorenty Solíz, Bolivia’s Ambassador, said the council needs to condemn the U.S. for Trump’s decision, “otherwise the Security Council will become an occupied territory”. As for him, the Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov expressed his concern during the Security Council emergency meeting regarding potential escalations of violence.

Finally, Secretary General to the UN, Antonio Guterres said that he “consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would jeopardize the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians.” He added, “US President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital might hinder the US drive for an Israeli-Palestinian peace accord”.

Questions arising

Will the deep relations and alliance quo between the Arab world and the United States take a conversion for the worse?

Will Trump reverse his decision on Jerusalem?

Will the EU reconstruct its foreign relations with the U.S. and Israel amid the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital?

Will the Arab and Islamic world unite for a common cause? Or are nation’s opinions impermanent influence?